Tail gate latch



Nox/.4, 1941. J. G. SAND 2,261,745-

TAIL GATE LATCH Filed Jan. 23, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 4, 1941. J. G. SAND 2,261,745

TAIL GATE LATCH Filed Jan. 23, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor (Zdearj faff/ Alorney Nov. 4, 1941. J. G. SAND TAIL GATE LATCH Filed Jan.l 23, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 4,` 1941 TAIL GATE LATCH l John George Sand, Galion, Ohio Application January 23, 1941, serial No. 375,667

UNITED STATES PAVTYsjNaTorr1cal 3`Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in tail gate latches for dump trucks and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth. novel means for automatically releasing and securing the ,tail gate when the body of the vehicle is raised and lowered.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide an automatic tail gate latch of the aforementioned character which is adapted to be expeditiously installed for operation on a conventional dump truck without the necessity of making material structural alterations.

Still another very important object of the invention is to provide an automatic tail gate latch of the character described which may be conveniently rendered inoperative when desired and which will interfere in no way with the usual manually operated tail gate control of the vehicle.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an automatic tail gate latch for dump trucks which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in operation, compact and which may be fmanufactured and installed at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure .1 is a view in side elevation of a dump truck body and frame equipped with a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the body in lowered position.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View thereof, showing the body `in raised position, lthe intermediate portion of said body and the chassis frame being broken away.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the invention with certain of the elements omitted.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view, showing the device after it has been rendered inoperative.

Figure 6 is a detail view vin vertical section through the automatic overload release clutch.

AFigure 7 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of the release clutch.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the reference numeral I designates the usual chassis frame of a dump truck. Pivotally. mounted at 2 for swinging movement in a vertical plane on the rear end portion of the I6. As bestA seen in Figure 6 of the drawings, the` chassis frame I is a sub-frames Fixed on the sub-frame 3 is an underframe IV which carries the box or `body 5. .A tail gate 6 closes the rear end ofthe body 5, said tail gate being pivotally connected at its upper end, as at 1, to said body.

Journaled in the` forward portion of the underframe 4 is a transversely extending vrocker shaft 8. Fixed on one end portion of the rocker`A shaft 8 is a hand lever 9. Formedintegrally with the end portion of the hand lever v9 which is fixed to the rocker shaft 8 in an arm I0. VAn armk II is fixed on the other end portion of the rocker shaft 8. Links I2 havetheir forward end por-l tions pivotally connected to the free end por,y

tions of the arms I0 and II. The rear end portions of the links IZ are pivotally connected yto the forward ends of longitudinally extending rodsy I3. The rear ends of the rods I3 are connected to hooks I4 which are slidable on the rear end por- 'tion of the frame 4 and which are engageable with a bar I5 for releasably securing the tail gate..

6 in closed position. y

Fixed on the end portion of which carries the hand lever 9 is a sleeve I6 having a threaded end portion I1.

IS are beveled clutch teeth I9. Rotatably and lever 20 having an inwardly curved lower edge 2l.'v It will be observed that the lever 20 is mounted at an intermediate point on the sleeve side of thel lever 20 which is adjacent the disk I8 has formed therein substantially` V-shaped grooves 22 for the reception of the correspondy,

ingly shaped teeth I9. Mounted on the threaded end portion II of thesleeve I6 isa nut 23. A coil spring 24 on the sleeve IB has one end ,enga-ged with the nut 23 and its other end engaged with the lever 20 for forcing said lever against the disk I8. It will thus be seen that an overload connection is provided between thelever 20 and the rocker shaft 8. The tension of the coil spring 24 may be regulated as desired by adjusting the nut 23.

Mounted onithe forward portion of 26 projects. Pivotally mounted on the pin 26` is a hook 2'Iv which is operatively engageable with is a strengthening plate 28 comprisingan aperp tured, angularly extending upper end portion 29 the rocker shaft 8-` On the other` end of the sleeve IB is a head or disk I8. On the face of the disk I8 which is adjacent the sleeve,

the chassis. frame I is a metallic plate 25 from which a pin.v

through which the shank of the hook 21 passes. A spring 30 has one end connected to the plate 28 and its other end connected to an outwardly extending flange 3i on the plate 25 for swinging the hook 21 upwardly to a substantially vertical position when the body 5 is raised, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings. A stop screw 32 is adjustably mounted in the flange 3| for engagement with the plate 28 for regulating the travel of the hook 21 under the influence of the coil spring 30.

Mounted adjacent the shaft 8 and paralleling same is a comparatively short rocker shaft 33. On the outer end of the shaft 33 is a hand lever 34.

forwardly and upwardly extending rod 36. On-

Fixed on the inner portion of the shaft 33 is an the forward or free end of the rod 3`6 lisxa shoe 31 in the form of a metallicplate comprising l an upturned forward end portion which is engageable slidably beneath the bottom of the body 5. A spring 38 is connected to thev rod 3'6 for.

supporting same and the shoe 31 in raised posi tion. The shoe 31 is engageable with an angu` larly extending upper portion 39 'of `the hook 21 for disengaging said hook fromthe lever '20.' when desired. A guide 40 is provided for the shoe 31 adjacent the lever 2D. It will be noted that the shoe 31 is operable between the forward portion of the lever 2D and the guide 40. f r

Stops 4I are provided on the underframe 4 for limiting the swinging movement ofthe hand'lever 34 in opposite directions. Adjustably mounted on the sub-frame 3' are stops 42 for limiting the swinging movement of the hook 21 when the dump body 5 is in lowered position. y

With the body 5 in lowered positionand the tail gate secured by the hooks I4, the hook 21 is engaged over the forward end portion of the lever in the manner shown to advantage in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings.` When the body 5 is raised the hook 21 swings the lever 20 downwardly thereby rocking the shaft 8 in adirection to cause the hook I 4 to release the tailgate 6. Of course, the lever 29 passes upwardly out of engagement with the hook 21. With the body 5 in raised position the lever 2|] and the hook 21l are in the positions shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. When the body 5 is lowered the hook-21 engages the inwardly curved lower edge 2| of the lever 29. As the body continues to descend the lever 2U is swung forwardly and upwardly while the hook 21 is swung forwardly andi down` wardly. This continues until the hook 21 clears the forward end of the lever 20 when it is swung upwardly over said lever by the spring30. The device is now ready for the next operation. v The stops 42 definitely limit theswingingrmovement ofthe hook 21 in'opposite directionswhen the body 5 is in lowered or substantially lowered position. n

When `it isv -desired to renderv theautomatic control inoperative, `the shaft 33 i's rocked through the medium of the hand lever 34 for forcing the shoe 31 forwardly between the'bottom of the body 5 and theportion 39 of the hook 21 substantially in the manner of a wedge. Thus,

sion of the coil spring 24 said lever 20 will ride over the clutch teeth I9. Thus, the members 8 and 20 will be automatically disconnected in the event of an overload.

It is believed that the many advantages of an -automatic tail gate latch constructed in accordance with the present invention will .be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. v What is claimed is: 1. The combination with a vehicle including a chassis frame, a dump body pivotally mounted on said frame, a tail gate on said body and means including a rocker shaft for latching said tail gatein closed position, of a lever, an overload clutch releasably connecting said lever to the rocker shaft for actuating saidl rocker shaft, and a hook pivotally mountedvon the chassis frame and engageable with the lever for actuating same for unlatching the tail gate when the body isV raised.

2. The combination with a vehicle including a chassis frame, a dump body pivotally mounted on the frame to assume load-carrying'position and dumping position, a tail gate pivotallymount-vv ed on said body with means on the body includ-y ing a rocker shaft for releasably securing the tail gate in a closed position,a lever carried by the rocker shaft, an overload :clutch connecting said leveryto said shaft, said lever including a shouldered face and an `arcuately curved face, and a spring influenced hook-shaped member pivotally mounted on the chassis frame to engage with the shouldered face of said lever for imparting rotation to the rocker shaft in one direction to cause said iirst means to release the tail gate on the movement of the body into dumping position and to engage the arcuately curved face to impart rotation `to the rocker shaft ina reverse direction to cause said iirstmeans to securethe tail gate in a closed position on the body moving into loadcarryingposition.

3. The combination with a vehicle including-a chassis frame', a dumpbody pivotally mounted on the frame to assume load-carrying position and dumping position, a, tail gate pivotally mounted. on said body with means on the body including a rocker shaft-for releasably securing the tail gate in a closed position, a lever carried -by the rocker shaft, kan overloadclutch connecting said lever to said shaft, said leverincluding a shouldered face and an arcuately curved face, a spring influenced hook-shaped member pivotally vmounted on the" chassis'frame to engage with the shouldered face of said lever for imparting rotation ,to therocker shaft in one direction to cause said first means to release the tail gate 4en the movement ofthe body into dumping position `andto engage the arcuately curved face to impart rotation to the rocker shaft in a reverse direction to cause said rst means to secure the tail gate in a closed position on ythe lbody moving intoA load-carrying position, a hand operated vshoe to engage the hook-shaped member. to disengage the latter from said lever, and aV manually actuated lever secured to the rocker shaft for the manual rotation of. the latter in either direction on the disengagement of the hook-shaped member from the first-named lever.

JOHN GEORGE SAND. 

